The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-10
A GOOD MESSAGE FOR INDIANA.

A GOOD MESSAGE FOR INDIANA.
Governor Foraker's message, delivered to
the Ohio Legislature, contains some points
very applicable on this side of the line At
one time during the war the Indiana Legisla-
ture (Democratic) declined to receive che mes.
sage Of Governor M orion and adopted that OF
Governor Seymour. Of New York We would
not advise the General Assembly to reject
Governor Gray's message and adopt that Of
Governor Foraker, but we can we'll afford to
profit by some of his suggestions One of the
things needed in this State is good registra-
ton law. such as they have in Ohio OF its
operation in that State Governor Foraker
says;
"This statute can not be too highly COM
mended. 1t has given universal and unquali-
fed satisfaction to all well meaning citizens of
both political parties Il has enabled the peo-
pie of Cincinnati to have quiet decent and
honest election. 1t is not known how to ex-
press for it higher OF more significant eulogy.
With such results to commend it, argument
is unnecessary to show that it should be at
once extended to all the larger cities of the
The slightly increased expense, trouble and
inconvenience of registration are amply COM
pensated in many ways. 1t is enough that it
secures orderly elections, with honest results
and without any investigations or election
contests. with their attendant expenses and
irritations, to follow and prolong the excite
ments incident to a political canvass"
The Ohio law is substantially the same as
that IL New York and Illinois, where it works
equally well. Our Legislature could not do
better than enact the same law in substance.
On the subject of municipal government
Governor Foraker is in favor Of home rule
that is, of letting the residents in city gov
ern it without the intervention of any boards
appointed by the Legislature or the State
offic GERS. He admits that s'the municipal COR
poration is the creature of the State aud so
far as legal right is concerned, the State may
govern it in any way it may choose. But
local self-government is the very genius Of
American institutions and no community
should be deprived of it except in extraordi-
nary emergencies" 1t might be we'll for the
Legislature to consider whether any extraor-
binary emergency requires the police control
of this and other cities in Indiana to be taken
out Of the hands of the people and placed in
those of State officers. The experiment in this
direction has been quite enough to settle the
opinion of most reputable people
The question of the government of benevo-
lent institutions is an interesting and id por-
tant one. There is reason to believe that The
management Of some of them has been very
bad, and there is no question but the present
system needs reforming. The question is
whether the State institutions should be
kept in or out of politics. managed on a-par-
tisan or non partisan basis. All who have
their welfare at heart say the latter In
Ohio, for number of years past, they have
been pursuing compromise policy, the prac-
tice being to have boards Of an odd number
of members, generally five, three of the party
IN power and two of the minority. These are
called mixed boards. Governor Foraker says:
$50 far as the mixed feature of the poll
tics OF the board IS concerned it is almost, If
not quite, an unmixed evil. 1t is good poll
ties but bad public service. In almost every
instance of misInanagement or mishap OF any
kind in the conduct of any of the public institu-
tons when managed by boards Of this character
the minority trustees have excused and de-
Tended themselves on the ground that they
and their party were not in power and there
fore not responsible; and the majority trustees
have taken refuge behind the minority and
put forth the defense that the other party was
equally at fault because their representatives
had participated in the wrong"
Instead of mixed boards, with majority
and minority playing at hide-and seek with
each other, Governor Foraker recommends
system Of non-partisan control by one board
of four or six members, in which neither
party will have a majority, but both will have
equal representation and equal responsibility
the Governor to be ex-officio member with
power to give deciding vote in all cases Of
equal division. He thinks this plan would
fix responsibility, and he supports it by strong
arguments. His suggestions are worthy 0,
consideration in connection with the reforma.
ton unquestionably called for in the manage
ment Of our State institutions.
-&~-
How nice it would be If the reyolutionists
collld calmly consp;ra - cfaoJ -, -